Switch-shifting mechanism.



J. T. WESTWOOD.

SWITCH smrrms MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I7. 19"}.

Patented May 23,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

INVENTOR 1 .2 COLUMBXA PLANOORAPH 410-, WASHINGTON. D. c.

J. T. WESTWOOD.

SWITCH SHIFTING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB, 17. ms.

Patented May 23,1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

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J OHN T. WESTWOOD, OF WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA.

SWITCH-SHIFTING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May as, 1916.

Application filed February 1?, 1916. Serial No. 78,904.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN T. WESTWOOD, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Wheeling, countyof Ohio, and State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Switch-Shifting Mechanisms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates broadly to switch throwing apparatus, and more specifically .to mechanism for shifting the switch-points or tongues of railway switches.

The primary object of the invention is to provide simple and efficient mechanical means whereby the operator of a railway car may, upon the approach of the car to a railway switch and without undue reduction of speed, conveniently and positively effect the shifting of the usual pivoted switch-point or tongue to either its open or closed position, as desired.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the character mentioned which may be installed in position without disturbing track already laid.

A still further object is to provide a device of the character mentioned the parts of which are so constructed that they are not liable to breakage or distortion under the strains imposed thereon.

Another object of the invention is to simplify and structurally improve that type of switch-throwing devices disclosed in my Letters Patent No. 624,590, dated May 9, 1899.

With these and other objects in View, the

invention resides in the features of construction, arrangement of parts and combinations of elements which will hereinafter be fully described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view, in perspective, illustrating a switch equipped with the switch-shifting parts of my invention and showing a car equipped with manually actuated lever operating devices approaching said switch; Fig. 2 is a partial vertical section of a pair of power cylinders which may be employed for mechanically actuating the switch shifting levers; Fig. 3 is a partial section on the line 3 3, Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail perspective view of a lever-engaging shoe; Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the switchshifting mechanism applied, the casing covers being removed; Fig. 6 isa longitudinal section on the line 66, Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a cross section on the line 7-7, Fig. 5; and Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail section of the forward end of a lever and the adjustable plate carried thereby.

Referring to said drawings, in which like designating characters distinguish like parts throughout the several views 1 indicates a rail of a railway track located adjacent to a switch embodying a shiftable switch point or tongue 2. To the web of said rail I attach two similar casings 3, one on each side of the rail, said casings extending from a point intermediate the ends of the tongue 2 to a point several feet distant from said tongue. Underlying and pivotally connected to said tongue 2, as shown at 4, is a transversely movable bar 5, the same being movable through an aperture 6 provided therefor inthe rail web and through registering recesses 7 provided in the upper edges of the adjacent sides of the two casings 3. The pivot pin 4: operates in a slot 28 in the rail-head and may have an anti-friction roller 29 mounted thereon, as shown. Attached to the under side of each of the opposite ends of said bar 5 is a downwardly extending lug 8 the outer lateral face of which is downwardly and inwardly inclined or beveled, as is.

clearly shown in Fig. 7. Said inclined face is adapted to be slidably engaged by the correspondingly inclined portion 9 of a plate 9 whereby it is thrust laterally for shifting the switch-tongue. Said plate 9 is adjustably mounted upon the forward end of a lever which is herein designated generally by the numeral 10. Said lever extends substantially throughout the length of the casing 3 and is pivoted intermediate its ends on the opposite sides of said casing, as shown at 11. Adjustably mounted on the top of said lever adjacent to its rear end is an upright post 12 having a tapered head-piece 13 which protrudes outward through a slot 14 provided therefor in the casing cover 15 which latter preferably has its top surface flush with the surface of the roadway, as shown in Fig. 1.

The head-pieces 13 are designed to be engaged and depressed, as occasion requires, by shoes 16 of suitable form carried by a car. Said shoes are mounted upon the lower ends of rods 17 which are vertically movable through guide sleeves 18 carried on the underside of the car platform 19. Said rods :project upward through said platform at points convenient to the car operator and are normally held in elevated position by any suitable means, as by the encircling coil springs 20. When, upon approaching the switch, it is desired to shift the position of the switch-tongue 2, the operator depresses with his foot one or the other of said rods 17 according to the direction of movement to be imparted to said tongue, thus causing the shoe 16, carried by the depressed rod to engage and forcibly depress the correspondingly located head-piece 13. This action causes the lever 10 to swing on its pivotal mounting, elevating its forward end and carrying the inclined portion 9 of plate 9 into pressure-exerting relation to the inclined face of the adjacent lug 8 whereby the said lug is thrust laterally inward, imparting a transverse movement to the bar 5 and, through the intermediacy of the latter, shifting said switch tongue.

It will be apparent that mechanical means may be substituted for manual power for de pressing the shoes 16, as, for example, a pair of air cylinders 21 may be located at a suitable point on the platform, each having a piston 22 operable therein, said piston being carried in fixed relation to a vertically movable rod 17 upon which the shoes 16 are mounted. A control lever 23 and twoway valve 24 may be associated with said cylinders for controlling the admission of compressed air to said cylinders, and handoperated release valves, as 25, in the upper ends of said cylinders afford simple means whereby the pressure of air admitted may be released to permit the rods 17 to resume their normal positions.

Each of the levers 10 is normally maintained in a position wherein its rear end is elevated, holding the head-piece 13 of post 12 elevated above the level of the roadway. A suitable lever underlying spring, as 26, a weight, as 27, attached to said lever adjacent to its forward end, or both may be employed for normally holding said lever in the position mentioned.

It will be noted that the two head-pieces are located close upon opposite sides of the track raill, and that, owing to the contiguity of said head-pieces, it is possible that they might be sinn lltaneously engaged and depressed, as by the broad wheel of a heavy truck, in which event the resulting strain imposed upon said levers, if the latter were rigid and unyielding, would be disastrous to one or.both thereof. To obviate such result, each of said levers is made resilient by forming the forward body portion 10* thereof of one or more flat spring-like leaves of flexible material, said leaves being bolted or otherwise suitably mounted at their rear ends upon the main body portion 10 in front of the pivotal mounting 11.

A support or rest member 30. is preferably mounted upon the bottom of each casing 3 ,ata suitable point in front of the pivotal mounting 11, said rest beingdesigned to limit the elevating movement of the outer or rear end of the lever 10, thus limiting the extent of elevation of the projecting head-pieces l3. 7

What is claimed is' 1. A switch shifting'mechanism comprising a bar connected to the switch-tongue and transversely movable through the maintrack rail with which said tongue-is associated, dependin lugs carried by the opposite ends of said bar, said lugs having inclined lateral faces, a pivoted lever disposed at each side of and parallel to said trackrail and having a portion designed to be elevated into contact with the inclined face of the adjacent lug for transversely moving said bar, and an upright member carried by the rear end of said lever and adapted to be depressed for rocking said lever to barshifting position.

2. A switch shifting mechanism compris' ing a bar connected to the switch-tongue and transversely movable through the main-track rail with which said tongue is associated, depending lugs carried by the opposite ends of said bar, said lugs having inclined lateral faces, a resilient leverdisposed at each side of said track-rail, said lever being pivoted intermediate its ends and carrying on its front end an element designed to be elevated into engaging relation to the inclined face of the adjacent lug for effecting a transverse shifting movement ofsaid bar, and an upright member carried by the rear end of said lever and adapted to be depressed for rocking said lever to bar-shifting position.

3. A switch shifting mechanism comprising a bar connected to the switch-tongue and transversely movable through the maintrack rail with which said tongue is associated, a pivoted resilient lever disposed at each side of said track rail, an upright member on the rear end of said lever adapted to be depressed for effecting the elevation of the front end of the latter, and adjustable means carried by the front end of said lever adapted, when the latter is elevated, to effect transverse movement of said bar.

4:. A switch shifting mechanism comprising a bar connected to the switch-tongue and transversely movable through the maintrack rail with which said tongue is associated, a pivoted resilient lever disposed at each side of said track rail, an upright member onthe rear end of said lever adapted to be depressed for effecting the elevation of the front end of the latter, and a plate adjustably mounted on the front end of said lever, said plate having a portion inclined to correspond with the inclination ofthe face of the adjacent lug, said portion being 130 adapted to be elevated against said inclined face for imparting transverse movement to said bar.

5. A switch shifting mechanism comprising a bar connected to the switch-tongue and transversely movable through the maintrack rail with which said tongue is associated, depending lugs carried by the opposite ends of said bar, said lugs having 1nclined lateral faces, a casing removably mounted at each side of said track-rail, a lever pivoted in each casing parallel to said track-rail, an upright member carried by the rear end of said lever and normally pro jecting above the level of said rail, and an angular plate ,adjustably mounted on the opposite end of said lever, said plate being adapted, when thefront end of said lever is elevated, to coact with the ad acent lug for accomplishing a transverse shifting movement of said bar.

6. A switch shifting mechanism comprising a bar connected to the switch-tongue and transversely movable through the maintrack rail with which said tongue is associated, depending lugs carried by the opposite ends of said bar, said lugs having inclined lateral faces, a casing removably mounted at each side of said track-rail, a lever pivoted in each casing parallel to said Gopies of this patent may be obtained for track-rail, an angular plate mounted on the forward end of said lever, said plate being adapted, when said end of said lever is elevated, to coact with the adjacent lug for causing said bar to move transversely, an upright member carried by the opposite end of said lever and normally projecting above the level of the track-rail, and means for actuating said member from a car approaching the switch for rocking said lever, said means including a normally elevated shoe and means for lowering said shoe into depressing relation to said member.

7. In a switch shifting mechanism, a bar disposed beneath and connected to the switch-tongue and movable transversely through the main track-rail with which said tongue is associated, and a lever lying parallel to said track rail at each side of the latter, said lever being pivoted intermediate its ends and adapted for movement into shifting relation to said bar, said lever having an end thereof formed of one or more resilient plates.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN T. WESTWOOD. Witnesses:

H. E. DUNLAP, W. F. KEEFER.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G. 

